As part of the feather study, I documented the bristle feathers of each species with some interesting results.   

   

A great article on bristle feathers:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joa.13188

 

Abert’s Towhee Bristle Feather

ABTO, Melozone aberti

 

 Close-up of Abert’s Towhee bristle feathers

   Two types of bristles were found.

 

Unbranched bristles on the left, semi-bristle on the right.

Very few unbranched bristles were seen.

   

Curve-billed Thrasher Bristle Feather 

CBTH, Toxostoma curvirostre

 

 

  Close-up of Curve-billed Thrasher bristles.

     

  Only semi-bristles were found.

 

    

Ring-necked Pheasant Bristle Feather

RNEP, Phasianus colchicus

    

There were bristle like feathers found under the eye.

These feathers were less than 1/4″ long.

Note the top of each feather looks shaggy.   

A look at 300X magnification shows some type of growth reminiscent of a filoplume. The vane was not as delicate as found on a filoplume.

     

XXXXXXXXX